Combustibles



Patented Jan. I, 1946 EOUS'I'IBLES Indi No Drawing. Application March 30, 1942, Serial No. 436,840

9 Elaims. (Cl. 44-75) This invention relates to improved combustibles and the like and more particularly to wickless candles, flares, torches. etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wickless illuminant such as a candle, flare or the like capable of prolonged and persistent burning. Another object of the invention is to provide individual, conveniently handled Usually in the preparation of aerogels the water present in the aquagel-is replaced with alcohol rby placing the gel in alcohol and allowing dilcooking units, suitable for cooking in place of a camp fire. Another object of the invention is to provide a means of increasing the burning properties orwax and the like. Still another object of the invention is to provide a means of burning a mass of wax without the need of a wick. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof.

In accordance with the invention the combustibility of combustible substances is materially improved and enhanced by admixture therewith of from about 1% to about 30% of an aerogel. Waxes. such as paraflin wax, ester waxes, petrolatums, crude scale wax and the like, asphalts, synthetic hydrocarbon polymers, etc., are illustrative of the type of combustible materials which can be used. Mixtures of waxes, or mixtures of waxes and high molecular weight fatty acids, such as stearic acid can also be used. Illustrative of the aerogels which can be employed are silica aerogel, gelatine aerogel, agar aerogel, cellulose aerogel, thoria aerogel, and aluminum aerogel. V

The term aerogeP is applied to a class of materials that are prepared by drying a gel or a gelatinous substance in such manner that the structure of the solid phase remains unchanged when the diluent is removed; that is, no shrinkage occurs. Gels are composed of many small cells which retain the liquid phase of the gel in much the same fashion as a sponge holds water.

when these gels are dried they shrink to'a smallfraction or their original volume because of the very large capillary forces and the relatively small volume of solid phase usually present. By replacing the liquid present in the gel with a nonpeptizing liquid and heating th gel to the critical temperature 01' the liquid under such pressure that it is allowed to evaporate, the liquid is converted to a gas and can then be released without capillary compressive forces being brought to bear on the solid structure.

in this manner occupy substantially the same volume as they did beiore drying but retain a gas within their meshes rather than a liquid. Gels so prepared are known as aerogels.

Dried gels prepared a and are adaptable for use in fusion to take place. The preparation of aerogels is described in Industrial 8: Engineering Chemistry, vol. 26' (June, 1934). P e 658, and vol. 31 (July, 1939). page 827, and in United States Patent No. 2,093,454 to S. S. Kistler.

For a fuller understanding of our invention the same will be described in connection with flares prepared 01' paramn' wax and silica aerogel. Flares having a persistent and steady flame are prepared by thoroughly mixing from about 2% to about 20% and preferably from about 5% to about 15% of silica aerogel with molten paraflln wax having a melting point of about F. to about F., and rapidly cooling the mixture to avoid excessive settling of the aerogel. Or the mixture of molten parafiin wax and aerogel may be agitated sufllciently to maintain thorough dis persion of the aerogel during cooling until the mix is just slightly above the solidifying point of the aerosol. The mixture of silica. aerogel and wax can be molded in any desirable size and shape and later packaged, or the mixture of molten wax and aerogel can be poured into any desirable container, such as a tin container or a wax paper carton, and allowed to solidifyin the container. The molded mixture can be coated with-a substance that will itself burn, e. g., cellulose acetate, etc. Flares so prepared are easily and readily ignited and will burn with a steady and persistent flame even in high winds. These flares provide a ready source of light and heat small cooking units.

Candles can be made by providing molded wax candles of any desired shape or form with a relatively narrow channel through the center thereof which is filled with a mixture of molten wax and aerogel. Upon solidifying, the waxeaerogel core furnishes an excellent substitute for the wicks ordinarily used in candles.

Illuminants prepared in accordance with the.

Although we have described our invention as applied to candles and iiares we do not wish to limit our invention thereto, since our invention is adaptable to increasing the combustion properties of any-- combustible material by d m g thereto relatively small amounts 01' an aerogel. While the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments.

prising a wax and from about 1% to about 30% or an aerogel.

2. A combustible composition of matter comprising paraflln wax and from about 1% .to about 30% oi an aerogel.

3. A combustiblecomposition oi matter com= prising paramn wax and about 1% to about 30% of silica aerogel.

4. A combustible composition of matter coinprising paramn wax and about 1% to about of alumina aerosol.

5. A combustible composition 01' matter comprising parailln wax and about 1% to about 30% of thoria aerogel.

6. A combustible composition of matter comprising a combustible solid hydrocarbon and an aerogel in sumcient quantity to enhance the combustibility 01' said hydrocarbon.

7. A candle comprising a body of wax and a core comprising a mixture of wax and from about 1% to about 30% of an aerogel.

8. The method or preparing an illuminant comprising mixing molten wax with from about 1% to about 30% man aerogel and rapidly solidifyins said mixture.

9. The method of preparing an illuminant as described in claim 8 in which the aerogel issilica aerogei.

CLARENCE M. LOANE. ROGER W. WATSON. 

